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Elevate Your Garden With a Raised Bed!

Gardeners who are excited about planting veggies this spring but have less than ideal soil in their backyards should consider constructing raised garden beds for their vegetable garden. Raised beds are great for increased accessibility, improved drainage, limiting soil compaction, and pest and weed control. They can be made with non-treated, naturally rot-resistant wood or from recycled materials. They can also be a great way to get kids involved in vegetable gardening. Check out the following considerations for building a successful raised bed in your spring vegetable garden this year.

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Farmers Have Surprising Roots

The roots that farmers have in Texas history can show up in the most surprising cases, including this story from B5 Farm’s Jamey Gage. His ancestor was the alcalde (mayor) of Gonzales, Texas, that wrote the letter back to Santa Ana’s regiment in San Antonio the town’s refusal to give up the eight-pound cannon that they had been lent by the Mexican government to the town.

Read more about Jamey's Texas roots, and then come see him this Saturday, during Roots Month, to talk about his heirloom tomatoes (with seeds that date back to the Civil War) or his root crops of purple top turnips and his adapted Turnip Dumpling recipe!

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Food Stories: Weathering Storms and Building Community

Recently, I sat down with Janet, who participated in The Happy Kitchen/La Cocina Alegre’s® 6-week series of cooking and nutrition classes for cancer survivors in the spring of 2012. One of the first things she said to me, in her warm Louisiana drawl, is that she feels weird about having the spotlight on her because she feels that she’s not perfect example of weight loss. But this series of stories is not about perfect people, it’s about real people and their real experiences, both good and difficult. This series is about folks reading a story and knowing that someone else has been through what they might be going through.

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SFC AND COMMUNITY HAPPENINGS

Austin Community Climate Plan Survey
Help Austin reach it's goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Fill out the survey and tell the City Council what steps with energy use, transportation and food that you are willing to take to help our community become a more sustainable city and combat the worst impacts of climate change. Take the survey »


Small Farms Can Feed Lots of People: A How-To
Are you attending SXSW Interactive? Mark your calendars for this exciting panel featuring SFC's Deputy Director Andrew Smiley, Nathan Heath of Pheonix Farms, Robyn Metcalfe of the UT Food Lab, and Sam Hellman-Mass chef/owner of Odd Duck. Click here for more info »


Thank You Edible Austin!
We'd like to thank our friends at Edible Austin for raising over $20,000 for Urban Roots and Sustainable Food Center during 2014's Eat Drink Local Week. The funds raised during this annual event supports access to healthy, local food for the families in Central Texas who need it the most.


Spring Citizen Gardener Classes Announced!
Citizen Gardener offers new gardeners with a unique, holistic introduction to food gardening in Austin, and it inspires gardeners to share their knowledge with their friends, neighbors and communities. Click here for more info and class schedule »


Farm Aid Texas Drought Summit
Thursday, Jan 29 - prior to TOFGA Annual Conference, in San Antonio. Experts from farm-based organizations will bring farmers, ranchers and service providers together to focus on immediate needs as well as building long-term drought resilience. Click here for more info and scholarship information »


Vote now for your Local Heroes
Support the heroes of our local food community! Vote for your favorite local farm, restaurant, food shop, food artisan, beverage artisan and nonprofit in Edible Austin’s 2015 Local Hero Awards. Winners will be announced in our March/April — Outdoor Issue. Click here to vote now!


Funky Chicken Coop Tour Registration
Are you doing part to keep Austin weird with your very own funky backyard chicken coop? Applications to show off your roost habitat for the 7th Annual Austin Funky Chicken Coop Tour are available online and the deadline to submit is January 25th. Click here for more info »